Book Review #49: Calli

Title: Calli.
Author: Jessica Lee Anderson.
Format: ARC.
Pages: 184.
Series: Nope.
Source: Twitter contest.
Publisher: Milkweed Editions.
Published Date: September 13, 2011.

Summary:

"Fifteen-year-old Calli has just about everything she could want in life—two loving moms, a good-looking boyfriend, and a best friend who has always been there for support. An only child, Calli is excited when her parents announce that they want to be foster parents. Unfortunately, being a foster sister to Cherish is not at all what Calli expected. First Cherish steals Calli’s boyfriend, then begins to pit Calli’s moms against one another, and she even steals Calli’s iPod. Tired of being pushed around and determined to get even, Calli steals one of Cherish’s necklaces. But this plan for revenge goes horribly awry, and Cherish ends up in juvenile detention.
Isolating herself from her moms, her boyfriend, and even her best friend, Calli wrestles with her guilt and tries to figure out a way to undo the damage she’s caused. When her moms are asked to take on another foster child, Calli sees an opportunity to make amends for her past mistakes.
Funny, moving, and emotionally rich, Calli is a portrait of an endearing young woman caught between adolescence and adulthood, striving to do the right thing even when all of her options seem wrong."

Cover:

I don't feel that this cover, does the story inside justice. Yeah, were not suppose to judge a book by it's cover, but were all human and it's what we do.

First entering the contest to win this book, I wasn't really sure what Calli was, I never heard of it before than. But I'm always open to trying new things.

When the book arrived and I saw the cover, I wasn't really sure if I still wanted to read it. It really didn't pull me in; it just wasn't anything too special or fancy. Giving it a chance anyways, I loved the story! It was something that I've never read before! It was freakin' awesome!

Characters-

Favorite:

I usually like characters that I can easily relate to, or could be friends with (or that have super powers). In this book, my favorite is the main character, fifteen year old Calli.

No, I'm not fifteen, I don't have any foster brothers or sisters, and I have a dad. But like Calli, I used to be a bit over weight, I was shy and quiet most of the time, and I just let people treat me however they wanted. Even though, I changed all of that, thanks to blogging and going into high school, I still can connect and understand how she's feeling and what she's going through.

I wish Calli would have grown throughout the story more; maybe become more confident, and stronger, and just burst out of her shell. But I still really liked her, and had an awesome time reading about her(:

Least Favorite:

I think my least favorite person would have to be Cherish, even though I grew to like a tiny bit by the end of the book.

Yeah she's had a rough life, being pushed from one home to the next, but come on! These people are so nice to you, and treat you like their own daughter, why would you mess things up? For once you have a good home, and you ruin things by kissing Calli's boyfriend, stealing her stuff, and lying to her parents? Why would you even consider doing that to total strangers that were nice enough to take you in?

Story Line:

First meeting Calli, you get to know right away she's shy, quiet, and keeps to herself, not wanting any trouble. She has a great boyfriend, and two awesome moms.

Her step mom grew up in foster care, knowing how it feels to be move from one house to another; never really have a place to call home. So the small family decided on fostering a girl named Cherish, knowing that she's a troubled teen.

Calli, never having a sister before, is really excited. Well, that is until Cherish steals her things, her parents attention, kisses her boyfriend, and lies to everyone's face.

Calli was a kind of book that I've never read before. In a way it reminded me of Sarah Dessen's book and her writing style. Even though, it was a bit short, and I wanted to know more about what happened to Cherish and how things are going for Lemond, I loved it! I can't wait to read more from Jessica Anderson(: